


Fulfillment

by orphan_account



Category: GOT7
Genre: Angst, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-24 07:18:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15625569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jinyoung doesn't believe in love, he doesn't think it necessary to have a good life. He has everything he could possibly want out of life and believes he's perfectly content. Mark doesn't really know what he's doing nor does he know what he wants to do. He wastes away his days doing nothing but says he's perfectly content. A story of the self-discovery of two boys who think they know everything but really know nothing.





	1. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/19/18 note: I don't really know where this fic is going, i thought i had an idea but i'm not so sure anymore. Just warning everyone that this most likely will not be updated anytime soon if ever.

Jinyoung groaned as Bambam threw another stack of papers on his desk with a sympathetic smile, “Boss wants you to take a look at the newest chapter of the _fantasy_ piece and edit it before you leave today.” 

He had been hoping to get out of the office by 9pm but after glancing at the clock and pile of work in front of him he knew it was just wishful thinking. He worked as the lead editor at the top fiction publishing company in Korea, a job that he’d slowly worked his way up to, a position he once thought of as his dream. At the core of it, he still loved his job, he was able to use his passion for writing and literature on a daily basis, but as the years went by, Jinyoung couldn't help but feel an underlying sense of a lack of fulfillment in his life. He had everything he thought he wanted in life, a stable well-paying job in a field he liked, an spacious apartment in one of the nicer neighbourhoods of Seoul, and an active social life. 

What was missing? It certainly wasn't love. Jinyoung learned a long time ago that love wasn't meant for him. He dated quite a few girls and boys in high school but nothing ever lasted. He was never fully satisfied by any of his partners and he lost interest in each quickly. Looking back, he was probably quite the heartbreaker. Jinyoung was not blind to the attention he got, he knew he was attractive and would often catch passerbys and co-workers not so subtly checking out his notably round behind. He didn't mind it so much, he could get laid whenever he wanted to, and he’d be lying if he said his looks and supposed charm didn't give him an automatic advantage in life. 

He almost felt bad for anyone who fell for him, knowing full well he could never be able to reciprocate their feelings. The only time he got close to truly feeling something in a relationship was during his last year of university. They were study-buddies turned into fuck-buddies, but unlike his other conquests, Jinyoung actually enjoyed spending time with Jaebum when they weren't naked. There was something about the older boy that made Jinyoung feel at ease. Although he came off as uncaring and perhaps a bit uptight at first, once you got to know him Jaebum become one of the most compassionate and sometimes downright silly human beings he’d ever known. Jinyoung used to invite him to hang out with his friends and would often find himself rolling his eyes at the antics Jaebum would get himself into, especially when paired with Yugyeom. When they graduated Jaebum got offered an amazing opportunity to work at a major music production studio across the country and didn't spare a second thought in accepting the position and moving away without anything more than a quick goodbye. His sudden absence bothered Jinyoung slightly for a few weeks but he reasoned it was more to do with the sudden loss of friendship and some of the best sex he’d ever had, than any sort of romantic feeling. It didn't take long for Jinyoung to push him out of his mind and find a new dick to screw around with. 

—

“Hyung, I’m leaving now, don't stay here too late. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bambam said as he peeked his head into Jinyoung’s office.

Jinyoung offered his assistant a nod of acknowledgement and brief goodnight before sighing at the time. It was half past 11 and he was struggling to get through the last few pages of this cringe-worthy fantasy romance the company had somehow gave the okay to publish. He could use a drink after this and quickly pulled out his phone to dial the number to his best friend to see if he was free. Yugyeom picked up after the first ring, “What’s up Jinyoung-hyung, why are you calling me so late?”

“Work is rotting my brain and I need a distraction. Meet me at the usually place in half an hour,” he replied promptly.

Yugyeom huffed in irritation, “How do you even know I’m free right now, what if I’m with some cute guy right now and you are oh so rudely interrupting our very important activities.”

Jinyoung scoffed, “Yeah right, now get your lazy ass off the couch and get ready to meet me.”

He could hear the younger man pouting through the phone as he muttered an okay and quickly hung up. Jinyoung smirked in victory before diving back into editing manuscript in front of him. With something to look forward to now, Jinyoung sped through the rest of the edits and was out of the office in under twenty minutes. He headed towards the bar across the street from the publishing office and wasn't surprised to find his best friend already seated in a booth downing shots with a group a cute giggling girls. “Jinyoungie!” Yugyeom exclaimed when he spotted the older man, quickly beckoning him over to join them. 

Jinyoung gladly walked over to the group and sat down in the both draping an arm over one the girls shoulders much to her delight. Yugyeom winked at Jinyoung and called the waiter over to order more shots.

Yugyeom had been his best friend since high school and while he could be a pain in the ass, he never failed to have Jinyoung’s back and they both possessed an unwavering loyalty to the other that resembled a relationship between brothers than simply best friends. Yugyeom saw through the cold front Jinyoung would sometimes put up and while Jinyoung often shower him in insults and savage remarks, Yugyeom knew he never had any actual malice behind his words. Jinyoung fiercely protected the people he cared about, a fact that made Yugyeom wonder how he would act if he were ever in a serious relationship. Not that Jinyoung would ever be in a serious relationship. The man thought love was stupid after all and a concept invented by humans to make their lives seem more interesting of worthwhile. Yugyeom rolled his eyes whenever Jinyoung gave him his anti-love rant, he was sure the older boy just hadn't met the right person yet Yugyeom was determined to see the day where someone would melt his best friend’s supposedly frozen heart.

—

Mark winced at the bright light as he opened his phone to check the time. _2pm._ He might as well get out of bed and get a head start on his day of doing nothing. He lazily showered and pulled on a pair of sweats, looking around to see if his roommate Youngjae was home, he wasn’t. Mark plopped himself in front of his desktop, deciding it was in his best interest to spend the next few hours playing video games. In between his quest to shoot down enemies he only got up twice to use the bathroom and make himself a cup of instant ramen when his grumbling stomach reminded him he had yet to eat. 

Just as he was about to sit back down in his chair with his hastily made meal, Mark was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. He answered quickly not even bothering to check who was calling, sandwiching the phone between his ear and shoulder to allow him to shove noodles into his mouth with his free hands. He instantly groaned when he heard the familiar voice of his mother on the other line. She had once again called to check up on him and not so subtly remind him that he should be looking for a real job. Mark half-heartedly agreed for the millionth time to look into it hoping that would appease his mother. Being his mother however, gave her the ability to see through his bullshit. She sighed, “Mark, I know you think I’m being annoying but it’s been almost a year, what are you doing with your life right now? Did you spend all those years in school for nothing? Your dad and I don't like to see you living like this when I know you could do so much better. Just promise me you’ll at least try. I love you and if you have the time try and come around to visit us. It feels like we haven't seen you in ages. Bring Lilah too.”

Mark felt slightly guilty at his mothers speech, “Okay mom, I’ll give it a try but I can't promise anything. I’ll see when Lilah’s free and maybe we will come around next weekend. I have to go now, I love you.”

He quickly hung up the phone before laying down on the couch taking a second to contemplate what it was that had led his life up to this point. He had spent the last year wasting away in this crappy shared apartment, no real job, no life, and barely any savings. It wasn't that Mark was forced into this position, he just didn't want to face responsibility and the real world, found the idea of getting a job and spending the rest of your life working for a soul-sucking corporation to be entirely unappealing. That’s why he had stayed in school for so long, earning a masters in business management, a subject he wasn't even sure he enjoyed. While he knew it wouldn't been difficult to find a job with his qualifications, he couldn't bring himself to put himself out there, he couldn't bear the idea of turning into one of those braindead workaholics who could never truly be content with their repetitive and monotonous lives. He had fooled himself into thinking he would much rather continue for as long as possible to live in this in-between state, where he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. To make ends meet, he worked three days a week a local cafe. It was a shitty job but at least he got to drink all the coffee he wanted. He was content right now, or so he told himself. Although he didn't have much in the way of friends, at least he could say he had a girlfriend. 

Mark started dating Lilah halfway through his masters, she was in the same program as him though it was an understatement to say that she was far more enthusiastic about it than he was. While Mark was quick to decline any job offers after their graduation, Lilah was excited to accept and be under capitalistic corporate control. Not that Mark could fault her for her choice, she was great as what she did and she enjoyed it, not the mention the size of her salary was one many would be envious of. His parents loved Lilah and spoke of her at every opportunity they could, she was everything they wanted Mark to be and they constantly hoped her influence would rub off on their own son. To Mark that was just wishful thinking. Lilah didn't really push him to follow her footsteps. She was good in the way that she never questioned his decision to live his life like this and supported everything he did, though sometimes he could swear he could briefly see disappointment in her eyes whenever she walked into his dingy apartment. When they first started dating, they would spend everyday together studying and fooling around. These days Mark barely saw Lilah once a week, she was always so tired or busy. Though Mark would never admit it, anyone could see that they were drifting apart. He pushed this thought aside and insisted that their relationship was perfectly fine. 

**_Mom wants you over for dinner sometime._ ** Mark texted. 

He was surprised by her quick reply, she usually took a few hours to respond to him. **_I’d love to but we are in the middle of a big project right now, I’m working over time every night. Tell her I promise I’ll come see her but just not anytime soon._**

Mark sighed but was not shocked by her response, mentally noting that this probably meant he wouldn't be seeing her anything soon either. He relayed Lilah’s message to his mother before getting up from the couch and turning his attention back to his video game. 

It was past 12am when Youngjae came home. He raised an eyebrow at Mark who was still sitting in front of his computer, receiving a bored look from the older male in response. “The studio’s closed now but I’m not done recording. I’m going to have to finish up here,” he announced with sheepish smile on his face.

Mark frowned. As much as he could admit that his roommate had a lovely voice, he was not in the mood to listen to it for the next however many hours. Youngjae was an aspiring singer and he has recently been signed to a small label. Mark didn’t know too much of the details other than the fact that Youngjae had been over the moon since he got the news and he’d been working non-stop in the studio each day since. While they were roommates the two of them weren't all that close so Mark didn't ask too many questions. Mark decided the best course of action would be to head to the bar around the block to distract himself for the next few hours.

—

Jinyoung was starting to think this trip to bar was not the best idea he’d ever had. It started out fine, a few shots in they decided to take it to the dance floor, Yugyeom eager to show his moves to the group of girls they were with. Jinyoung pulled on the girls close to him and began to sway to the music with her, taking this as an opportunity to feel her up while he was at it. She didn't seem to mind one bit and even pulled him closer so that she could attach her lips to his. They continued to make out throughout the night, and Jinyoung reached the conclusion that he would take her home tonight. Work had left him in a weird mood and he could use a quick mindless fuck to clear his head. However any plans to get laid were put to an abrupt halt when Yugyeom suddenly threw up all over the middle of the dance floor. The girls jumped back in disgust and the dance floor quickly emptied leaving Jinyoung staring at his best friend who was sitting on the floor next to the mess of his own vomit. The older male sighed and scooped up his friend and began to drag him towards the exit. Yugyeom never really knew his own limits when it came to drinking, so is wasn't a rare occurrence for Jinyoung to have to pick up the pieces and deliver him home when he went too hard. Unfortunately for him, today happened to be one of those days.

Mark walked into the bar and winced at the loud music filled his ears. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest move to head to the bar, listening the thumping bass was not all that much better than Youngjae’s singing. Mark was just contemplating leaving as quick as he came in when a heavy body crashed into his. He turned around to see a very tall guy fall to the ground. Beside him, another male gave a huff of annoyance before speaking up in a deep voice, “Sorry, as you may have noticed my friend has had a little too much to drink. _Fucking Yugyeom get up let’s go._ ”

Mark looked at the scene before him in amusement as the man reached to grab Yugyeom off the floor. When it appeared that taller man was not budging Mark decided to step in and help. They each took a hold of a shoulder and pulled him towards the door. 

“Thanks for that, the brat sure is heavy to lift myself myself. My name is Jinyoung by the way.” 

“No worries, I’m Mark,” he offered quickly in response.

Now that they were on the street Mark was able to take a proper look the both of them. He prided himself in being straight but he had to admit that Jinyoung was quite handsome. He had full red lips and his dark hair was styled casually back in a way that paired with the dress shirt and pants he was wearing, gave off an air of arrogance and superiority. When his eyes moved to look at Yugyeom, he was washed with a wave of recognition. He was pretty sure the tall mess in front of him was his neighbour; while Mark wasn't too social he remembered seeing him in the hallway of their apartment, sometimes dancing to his own music when he thought no one was watching. His thoughts were interrupted when Yugyeom lifted his eye’s to meet Mark’s and exclaimed excitedly, “Hey it’s Youngjae’s roommate! It’s me, your next door neighbour!”

Jinyoung flinched slightly at his friend’s outburst before turning to Mark. “You live in that shitty building too? Perfect, how about you help me get him home.”

Mark glanced over at Yugyeom who was now muttering something to himself something about doing more shots and decided, _why not_? He swung one of Yugyeoms arms over his shoulder and Jinyoung proceeded to do the same on the others, the trio carefully making their way around the block to the apartment. 

With a big a effort they managed to deliver Yugyeom into this apartment before haphazardly dropping him onto his bed where he immediately passed out. Closing his bedroom door behind them, Jinyoung and Mark silently walked into the living space together. The two men decided to sit down on Yugyeom’s couch to rest for a bit.

“So what do you wanna do now?” Jinyoung asked cooly with a quirked eyebrow and slight smirk. 

It didn't take more than a look for Jinyoung to acknowledge that Mark was very attractive. His face was narrow but sculpted and his hair was dyed a rich blonde that Jinyoung wanted to run his hands through. He noted that while Mark was quite skinny, he had lean muscles. Mark was probably the prettiest boy Jinyoung had seen a while. Perhaps he was a bit drunk, and perhaps the scene at the club had left him feeling sexually dissatisfied but at some point in their brief time together Jinyoung had decided it wouldn't hurt to try to get into Mark’s pants. He inched closer to the other boy and casually rested a hand on the other’s thigh.

It took a second for Mark to understand the implication of Jinyoung’s words and actions. He had never really been hit on by a guy before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. As soon as he realized what was happening he stood straight up, allowing Jinyoung’s hand to fall from his thigh before nervously trying to come up with an excuse to escape. “Uhh I should go now, it’s late, I um have to call my girlfriend, nice meeting you bye,” he blurted out quickly hoping he would be able to understand him and allow him to leave.

Jinyoung chuckled softly and gave a half-hearted wave goodbye, “I understand, pretty boy, you're straight or whatever. I’ll see you around,” he gave Mark a quick wink, eyes twinkling with amusement at how nervous Mark looked. 

Mark managed a nod before quickly rushing out of Yugyeom’s and into his own apartment. As he lay in bed that night waiting for sleep to wash over him, Mark couldn't help but struggle to get the image of Jinyoung’s deep, challenging eyes out of his head.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Two

Jinyoung waited a few moments longer on the couch after Mark left before getting up himself. He massaged his temples letting a sigh of irritation out at his unsuccessful night. He headed out the building and called a taxi to pick him up and take him home. He smirked at the thought of Mark, despite what he said about being straight, Jinyoung wasn't so sure, he'd seen the way the blonde stuck a peeks at him, probably not even realizing it himself. Now that Jinyoung knew where Mark lived, he had a feeling he'd be seeing him around a lot more. He looked forward to the idea of teasing him more, perhaps with some persistentance he could make Mark see there was more to the world than wasting your time keeping a girlfriend. Seducing Mark posed a bit of a challenge but maybe a challenge was exactly what Jinyoung was looking for these days. He felt proud of his conclusion and began to plot on his ride home.

\- 

Mark dragged himself out of bed grumbling about having to get ready for his shift at the Cafe, the previous day more or less forgotten from the back of his mind. Even so, he couldn't help feeling an overall sense of unease, as if something important had just happened or was about to happen. He blamed the lack of sleep for putting him on edge. Mark cursed when he looked at the time, throwing on some clothes knowing full well to expect a yelling from his boss for being late. 

The day went by as it usually did, his bosses rant about the importance of timeliness went in one ear and out the other. Mark rolled his eyes when he wasn't looking and tapped his foot impatiently until he was finally released to go take orders. As always, Mark put a quarter of the effort he could have into his work. He put the bare minimum needed, never really bothering to make eye contact or smile at the customers, quickly scribbling their orders down before scurrying away to input them in. Any other place would have probably fired him by now but the Cafe was so low on staff they could not afford to. This meant Mark could more or less get away with being late, messing up orders, and taking the occasional extra long break. 

The day rolled on slowly, Mark mindlessly taking order after order. "I'm ready to order!" someone shouted kind of rudely from across the Cafe.

Mark didn't even look up as he walked to the source of the voice, " Hey what can I get for you," he mumbled, not caring if he was coherent or not.

"I'd like it if you would look at me when you talk," the voice replied.

Mark snapped his eyes up at the odd request and looked right into a pair eyes that burned into the back his mind. "Jinyoung, um oh hey, what can I get you," Mark managed to stutter out.

"You know what I want," he joked with a wink, clearly amused by how nervous the blonde was, "I'll just take a black coffee and one of those sandwiches you have displayed in the front.”

It took a second for Mark to react to Jinyoung's words, when he did, he wordlessly nodded quickly and hurried away. _what th_ e _hell is he doing here? Did h_ e _know that I worked here?_ He'd never seen Jinyoung at his Cafe before, he would have remembered a face like that. He reasoned that it was probably a coincidence though he couldn't help but feel the same unsettling feeling he'd felt at the bottom of his stomach since yesterday. There was nothing about Jinyoung that made Mark feel unsettled, it's not that he was gay, his roommate Youngjae was gay and Mark had never felt weird around him. Maybe it was the way that every time Jinyoung looked at he felt as if he could see into his soul, _how could someone he had just met effect him so much?_

-

Jinyoung checked his watch, it was time for his lunch break. He couldn't stop thinking about Mark, he had to know more about the beautiful blonde. He dialled Yugyeom hoping his best friend would know more about his neighbour. Several rings later he was greeted with a gruff, "Hello?"

It was clear the younger boy was still in bed after the rough night he had. "Good morning sunshine," Jinyoung greeted, "how are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" he whined, "My head is throbbing and I can barely even see. Hurry and tell me what do you want hyung, I wanna go back to sleep.”

“I want to know everything you know about Mark.”

“Mark? Who is Mark…oh my NEIGHBOUR. What the hell are you trying to bang him because I'm pretty sure he’s straight, I see his girlfriend around all the time. Though he does look like your type, you’ve always like them lean and pretty. Though I doubt you have much of a chance-“ 

“Gyeom-ah, you are not answering my question,” Jinyoung interrupted firmly.

“Oh well, I don't know much, I’ve only really talked to his roommate Youngjae. From what I've gathered he spends most of his time at home, though I think he works at that little cafe two blocks from my place, the one with the swirly logo? Honestly why are you even trying so hard, are you really that bored, why don't you just go to the bar and pick up some rando like you do. I feel a little weird that you are trying hook up with my neighbour-“ Jinyoung hung up before his best friend could finish speaking, he knew exactly where he was going be having lunch today. 

Jinyoung quickly gathered his belongings before stretching out of his chair and calling out to his assistant, "Bambam, I'm going out for my lunch break, you should go get something to eat too while I'm at it."

"That's new, you usually never leave the office for lunch," Bambam questioned.

Jinyoung shrugged as he walked past the assistant, "don't concern yourself with it, I have some personal errands to run."

Jinyoung spotted the head of blonde hair as soon as he walked into the Cafe. It was a quaint little place, not quite his scene. Mark looked bored as he served a nearby table, not once bothering to look up at Jinyoung who had now seated himself in a table by the window. He noted how out of place Mark looked in the cheerful Cafe, and Jinyoung wondered curiously why Mark was even working here. Slowly growing impatient at the fact that he still hadnt been noticed, he decided to call out at him, "I'm ready to order!"

Seeing Mark so flustered delighted Jinyoung to no end, now that he was fully sober, he began to notice little details. He noticed how Mark avoided eye contact with him and how he couldn't stop fidgeting. He chewed his lip nervously and Jinyoung resisted the urge to tell him to stop. He wasn't even sure he had even heard his order properly when the blonde scurried away. 

When his food arrived, Jinyoung was disappointed to notice that it was a different server bringing him his order. He frowned at the female server, "Excuse me, where is Mark?"

She looked surprised by his unexpected question, no one ever asked for her incompetent coworker. "He's on his break," she replied politely, "he will be back in half a hour. Is there anything else you need?"

He continued to frown, "Yes, I would like you to bring me Mark."

"Um sir, I don't think I can do that..." she stuttered out.

"We are friends, tell him Jinyoung wants to see him?" he said smoothly.

She looked hesitant but eventually nodded when he flashed her a bright charming smile. 

Mark was interrupted from the game he was playing on his phone in the break room by his coworker who he was sure he hadn't ever said a word to before"Um, there's a man out there that wants to see you, I think he said his name was Jinyoung," she said timidly.

It took him a moment to register what she was saying, and when he did he was slightly taken aback. What did he want from him? He was considering ignoring the request but a part of him was curious to what Jinyoung wanted. He slowly got up and peeked his head out spotted Jinyoung sipping his coffee and reading a book. Mark had half a mind to turn around and leave when Jinyoung raised his head and looked straight at him, face bursting into a wide grin. Realizing he had no choice not that me had been discovered, Mark walked towards the table, trying his best to remain as stone-faced as possible, praying the other man could not sense his nervousness. “Why did you ask for me?” He tried to ask in as impersonal of a way as possible.

“You are on you break right? I’d love it if you could join me for lunch,” Jinyoung replied nonchalantly.

Mark looked unsure but with Jinyoung looking at him and nodding in insistence. He figured nothing too bad could happen if he simply heard the other man out. The corner of his mouth raised when the blonde took a seat and he began to speak, “I’d like to apologize for the other night, I was a little tipsy and may have come off a bit too strong. I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping me drag Yugyeom’s ass home, the giant brat never knows how to hold his liquor. I figured since you are his neighbour i’m probably going to be seeing you around a lot more. How serendipitous it is for me to have walked into this cafe today, it gives us both an opportunity to properly introduce ourselves.” 

“I’ve been Yugyeom’s neighbour for a year and you never saw me beforehand so what’s makes you think you'll see me now?” Mark retorted, “Anyways, I’m sure it’s no coincidence you walked into my cafe today as I've never seen you in here before either.”

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow at Mark’s response amused by how forward the blonde was being. Mark himself was a little shocked by his own words and restless to see how the other man would respond to his bold accusations. 

He didn't appear to be too bothered by it, and continued nonchalantly, “That’s not important right now, what I'm trying to say is that we _will_ very likely be seeing each other more, I’m just trying to be friendly and get to know you better, also it doesn't hurt that you are not hard on the eyes.”

Mark shifted in his seat, fidgeting with the edge of his apron. With the way Jinyoung was staring him down, Mark couldn't but feel a blush creep up from his neck to his ears, “Look, I doubt I’ll be able to provide whatever you are looking for so all this is a waste of your time. I’m not looking to make any new friends right now, I’m sure there are plenty of other people out there you can try to befriend, hey my roommate Youngjae if that’s what you're interested in, I can set you up.”

Jinyoung only continued to look at Mark thoughtfully seemingly to have ignored every word that he just said, “Anyways, I will see you around, I better be getting back to work or my assistant will be worried.”

As he got up from his seat he added as an afterthought, “You're cute when you blush, i’m hoping I’ll be able to see that more often.”

Mark sat back in his chair utterly confused and embarrassed by the interaction, watching as Jinyoung confidently sauntered towards the door. On his way out he stopped Mark’s coworker and appeared to ask her a question, before breaking into a smile at her answer. He was too far away to hear what they were talking about, not that it mattered he told himself.

-

Jinyoung was in a great mood leaving the cafe. Before he left, he had made sure to ask the other server what days Mark worked, making a mental note to return the next time he was scheduled. As he walked back into the publishing office, his assistant noticed his change in spirit, “What’s up with you, why gotten you so happy?”

“Oh nothing, I’ve just discovered a new cafe I really like. I think I was be having lunch there more often.”

“Oooh which one is it, let me know the address so I can pick up takeout from there for the future,” Bambam eagerly responded.

Jinyoung just smiled and shook his head, “That won't be necessary, I’m thinking of going out for lunch more often now, get some fresh air.”

Bambam looked at him skeptically but didn't ask more questions. If this new habit kept his boss in a such a good mood all the time, he had no complaints.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the shorter chapter this time, hoping to get another longer update in by tomorrow. Thanks for all the love so far!


	3. Three

Mark couldn't even say he was surprised when he saw Jinyoung walk into the cafe and seat himself down at the same seat by the window on his next shift. He wasn't too sure what kind of a game the man was playing but he knew that he did not want to play along. He wasn't used to getting special attention from another person like this. Anyways it’s not like Mark needed a new friend, his life was fine the way it was right now. He had Lilah, and though it was a bit of stretch, if he wanted to, he could consider Youngjae a friend. So maybe he didn't have the largest social circle in the world but it’s not like that mattered to Mark, you didn't need a lot of friends to be happy and he was _very happy_ right now.

So as he walked towards Jinyoung, he stood tall did his best to exude an air of indifference. When he asked him for his order, he did his best to be as formal and impersonal as possible, treating the other man as if he'd never met him before. “So what do you recommend?” He asked, flashing a charming smile.

Mark simply listed the memorized list of specials for the cafe. Much to Mark’s displeasure, Jinyoung didn't seem to mind his new behaviour, he continued to wear a smug look on his face the whole time he was there. This time he didn't bother to ask Mark to join him, instead he opened a book and spent the duration of his time in the cafe engrossed in his reading as he ate. This only served to make Mark even more confused by the man’s motives.

When Jinyoung got up to leave after he’d finished his meal, he simply turned to Mark and said with a wink, “I’ll see you again on Monday, pretty boy.”

Mark frowned as he watched Jinyoung leave, his heart beating fast in his chest and wondering how the hell he knew when his next shift was.

This continued for the next two weeks, Jinyoung would come in for his lunch each time Mark worked at the cafe and sit in the same spot with a book in his hand. He would drop the occasional flirty comment whenever Mark was near, ensuring that he was making direct eye contact with the blonde each time he spoke. Mark noted the satisfied smirk he wore each time he succeeded in making him blush, when tended to be more often than not. Despite the fact that Mark was beginning to expect the appearance of Jinyoung’s face right around noon, he couldn't help but be left with the same unsettling feeling at the bottom of his stomach each time other man walked through the door. Each time it seemed to intensify slightly and Mark could not figure out why. He choose to ignore it, put on a straight face and carry on; besides, Jinyoung tipped well so he couldn’t complain too much.

-

Honestly, Jinyoung wasn't too sure what he was doing. While he had been making sure to head over to the cafe each day that Mark worked, he didn't have much of a plan in mind. For now he was just enjoying the quiet spot to have his lunch and read his book, with the added bonus of seeing Mark’s beautiful face as he worked. Jinyoung was in no rush to hurry the process of getting into Mark’s bed, from what he had observed, it was clear that he had an effect on him, noting how the blonde’s entire disposition would change when Jinyoung walked into the cafe. He found it endearing how hard Mark tried to be indifferent towards Jinyoung. He hoped he could use his discomfort as a way to get even further under the other man’s skin. What was important was that Jinyoung was leaving an impression, it didn't matter whether it was positive or negative, that could be fixed later on.

-

Mark got off of work at around 7:00 pm to 4 missed calls and 6 new messages from Lilah. It had been a while since they had a proper conversation so he was curious as to what his girlfriend wanted. He would have expected her to be too busy with her big project at work to even think of calling him. He felt a sense of worry rush over him as it had to be urgent for her to text him like this and attempt to call him so many times. He hurriedly went to check his messages.

**Lilah:** _I managed to get out of work early today, if your parents are free we can manage to meet up for a late dinner today._

**Lilah:** _Are you able to come tonight?_

**Lilah:** _I called your parents, they are delighted to hear we are coming over tonight, be ready, I’ll pick you up at 8._

**Lilah:** _You aren’t picking up my phone calls so I’m going to assume you are available._

**Lilah:** _Mark? I would prefer if I could get a confirmation._

**Lilah:** _Right, I forgot you are at your silly little job at that café right now, just be ready by 8._

Mark instantly groaned at the messages. He was nowhere close to being in any mood to see his parents tonight. The idea of being nagged all night to get his life together did not appeal to Mark in any way, shape or form. It would be nice to see Lilah though, he hadn’t gotten a chance to see her in three weeks, sometimes it felt like he didn’t even have a girlfriend. He texted her a quick confirmation before he started to walk home, mentally preparing himself for the night to come.

Mark had barely made it out of the shower and gotten his clothes on when his phone rang. It was Lilah, she must have arrived already. He quickly answered the phone as he pulled his shoes on telling her he was on his way out. Mark checked himself in the mirror, his hair hadn’t fully dried yet but he figured it would dry enough on the drive to his parents.

He opened the door to his girlfriend’s car and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek after she got in. She smiled at him but eyed his still-damp hair unapprovingly. They spent the fifteen minute drive in relative silence. As it had been a while since they met up, Mark wasn’t too sure what he wanted to talk to Lilah about. He considered asking her about work briefly before remembering that he would likely spend the whole night discussing Lilah’s great career achievements knowing his parents. Mark shook his leg nervously as they turned onto the familiar street of his childhood home. It’s not that this place gave him bad memories per say, but it didn’t give him good ones either. Though he’d be a fool to say he had a bad childhood, he had been fortunate to have parents who were considered well. However, he felt a sense of anxiety loom over him as he remembered his childhood spent looking up at his parents, who were both well-wrapped up in the business world, as they urged and attempted to mould their son into following their footsteps. If Mark were to blame anyone for his lack of ambition and hesitation it would have to be his parents. They had never once bothered to ask him what he wanted to do with his life and by the time Mark was old enough to think for himself, he didn’t know what he was passionate about either.

His parents greeted the two of them warmly as his arrived, exclaiming their excitement at how long it’s been since that last got together. Like always with these sort of get-togethers, Mark chose to remain quiet and let Lilah do most of the talking, after all, its not like his parents were all that curious as to how he was spending his days anyways. “I was so happy when Lilah called to tell me you two were coming over tonight, it’s been far too long, please tell me everything you’ve been up to,” his mother chattered away mostly at Lilah, intent on picking her brain for every detail of her life from the project she was working on to the latest beauty trends she was following.

Mark was sitting silently and picking at his food when the dreaded moment he had be waiting for finally arrived, “So Mark, how’s the job searching going?”

The blonde couldn’t help but briefly frown in irritance at his father’s question before composing himself, “I haven’t begun to look yet, I still haven’t decided what I want to do yet. Anyways, I’m not in much of a hurry, I am perfectly happy with the way my life is right now.”

“Lilah tells me you are still working at that little café, how can you be happy doing such a menial job and living in that decrepit apartment of yours?” his father retorted.

“How can you be happy sitting around getting paid ridiculous amounts of money following the whims of a large corporation everyday, knowing full well that many people work their asses off at jobs like mine everyday for barely a fraction of what you make. And there’s nothing wrong with my apartment, I am very comfortable, thank you,” he answered, surprised by how bitter he sounded.

Everyone at the table was visibly uncomfortable at Mark’s outburst, including Lilah whose eyes appeared to cloud with disappointment. His mother was the first to speak, “Mark please don’t say things like this, you know we only want the best for you. If you are nervous about being able to find a job, we can help you out, you know we’ve got connections. In fact, I hear our Busan location is looking to fill a few directorial positions, I can put in a good word for you. As for your current living arrangements, we all know it could be better, if you would just show us some initiative, your father and I would be willing to help find and finance a better place while you are building your career.”

Something in Mark snapped, were they not hearing a single word he had just said? “What part do you not understand about when I say that _I am HAPPY_. I do not desire your help because

I am not in a position where a need to be helped, will you just drop it? I’ve lived my life the way you have wanted me to for the last 24 years and for once I would like to be able to make my own decisions.”

“ENOUGH!” his father yelled, “You are upsetting your mother and Lilah. I will not tolerate this behaviour any longer. We’ve let you fool around for long enough, hoping you would eventually come to your senses and realize that what you are doing right now is no way of living, but clearly the mold in your dirty little apartment has gotten into your brain. I will not allow any son of mine to continue to live this way. You are going to get your life together if you even want to consider showing your face around this house again. And don’t think about coming to us for help when you run out of money and realize that we were right all along. You’ve foolishly put yourself in this position and you will the only one around to save yourself.”

The look on his father’s face told him this dinner was over. He turned to his mother who had her head down, refusing to look up at anyone. Mark felt a twinge a guilt when he realized she must be holding back tears but his anger overshadowedany other emotion. “I’m leaving,” he announced coldly as he stood up from his chair, “If you really mean what you are saying, I guess you won’t be seeing me around again.”

Lilah who had been quiet during the entire conflict spoke up softly, “I’m going to take him home, I apoligize for this whole mess, I promise we will talk more later.”

She looked absolutely exhausted by the whole debacle. Mark felt hurt when he noticed how she wouldn’t look him in the face, instead walking past him towards the door. He followed his girlfriend, unsure of what to say, “You know you don’t have to drive me home if you don’t want to, I can call a taxi or take the bus.”

“Mark just get in the car, please.”

He complied and they drove home in an uncomfortable silence. The tension in the air was stifling and he was sure Lilah could feel it too. As she pulled up in front of his apartment, Mark decided to finally speak up, “I’m sorry about tonight, but you saw how they wouldn’t listen to me. Look l don’t want to get past this and I’m not going to let this to affect us. How about you come inside, I doubt my roommate is home and can watch a movie or something together, like old times?”

“I don’t think so Mark. I have to be in the office by 7am tomorrow,” she replied heatedly.

“Are you mad at me too? I thought you understood.”

Her voice softened and she moved to place a hand on his arm, “You complain about your parents not listening to you but have you once listened to them either? Maybe they have a point, how much longer are you going to keep living here and working that dead end job. I’ve been trying to support your decisions but lately it’s gotten harder. I never see you and when I do, I feel like we have nothing in common anymore. You know I love you and just want what’s best for you, right?”

Mark didn’t know how to react to Lilah’s words, on one hand he was angry that she as siding with his parents but deep down he knew she was right, especially about the state of their relationship. Instead he chose not to reply, moving to get out of the car without so much as a goodbye. He knew it probably came off as a little cold but he needed time to think as his head was swirling with so many different thoughts at once. He felt utterly drained as he dragged himself into the apartment complex and up the stairs to his own unit. Distracted in his own thoughts, he didn’t even notice the door to the neighbouring unit open and close until he heard a voice speak up, “Mark?”

He whipped his head up to face the deep brown eyes that only drived to make his head swirl faster than it already was. “Oh hey Jinyoung, what are you doing here?”

Jinyoung shrugged, “Just hanging out with Yugyeom, are you okay?”

Mark sighed when he realized how evident his distress was, “I’m fine, just had a long night.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I’m a good listener, Yugyeom always comes to me with all of his problems.”

Mark was taken aback by how sincere he sounded, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea…”

“I promise I have no ulterior motives, you just look like you could do with some company right now.”

He didn’t know if it was the look of genuine concern in his eyes or the fact that he was too emotionally exhausted to say no but he found himself nodding, “Okay, sure.”

He opened the door to his apartment and invited Jinyoung in, unsurprised to find no one home. Mark was surprised however to find himself embarrassed to let the other man see his run down excuse for a home, before he remembered that Yugyeom’s place looked almost exactly like his and it didn’t seem like Jinyoung cared. Mark stood awkwardly towards the side unsure of what to do next, “You can take a seat on the couch, sorry it’s a bit worn, if you’d like I can get you something to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

Mark nodded and went to fill two glasses of water before joining Jinyoung on the couch, handing one over to him and receiving a quick thank you in response. The dark-haired man was the first to speak, “So what happened tonight? If you are comfortable with sharing.”

“Dinner with my parents,” Mark sighed, “They want to control everything I do as they have been for my entire life.”

Jinyoung let out a small _ah_ , “That’s the opposite from mine, they didn’t really care what I did and let me do whatever I wanted growing up.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Mark asked skeptically.

“What I’m trying to say is that I wished they cared more, not rarely ever bother to check up on me and I’m pretty sure they had no clue what I was studying the entire time in university.”

The blond quietly nodded, trying to imagine being in the same position as Jinyoung, while he would have thrived with all that freedom and thought of it as a positive thing, he could see how someone like Jinyoung could feel just the opposite. “I never got the chance to ask you but what is it that you do for work?” Mark inquired, “I see you’re all dressed whenever you come into the café for lunch.”

“I’ve been the lead editor at JYP publishing house for about a year and a half now.”

“Do you enjoy your job?”

Jinyoung face broke into a wide smile and for the first time Mark was close enough to notice the way his smile seemed to spread all the way to his eyes, the corners crinkling slightly. “I love it, it’s the only job I’ve ever seen myself in. I get to read books all day and help hardworking writers get published.”

Mark remembered how Jinyoung always seemed to have a book with him when he came to the café. It was rare to come across someone who truly liked their job and it seemed like Jinyoung was one of the lucky few, a thought that made Mark feel a slight sense of bitterness. “Must be nice.”

The joyful expression on his face fell when he noticed how furrowed Mark’s brow was. He decided to switch the conversation focus back to Mark, “How about you tell me more about your job? Was it always your calling to be a server at a café?”

Mark scoffed and his frown deepened, “I hate it,” was all he said in response.

“I figured, the first time I saw you in that café you looked like you wanted to be anywhere else but there. You looked so out of place. If you don’t mind me asking, why continue to work somewhere you clearly despise so much?”

The question made Mark pause, unsure of what the answer to it was, “I don’t know what else to do. My entire life was spent chasing my parents dreams of a becoming a successful businessman. I think part of what keeps me going is the fact that while I might hate this job, I know my parents hate it infinitely more.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little immature? You are just causing yourself suffering out of pettiness.”

The blonde couldn’t even bring himself to argue with Jinyoung’s statement, he was tired of fighting tonight, so he just hung his head in agreement, “I guess…”

“Is that what you were fighting about with your parents tonight? They want to push you towards a career you dislike?”

“They think I’m wasting my life right now and wasting my degree. They have a clear image in their minds of what they want me to become and as soon as I stray slightly from it, they cant stand it. To make things worse, I think my girlfriend agrees with them even though she’s always been on my side.”

“What is it that you want to do then?” Jinyoung asked curiously, “Where does your passion lie?”

Mark had been not looking forward to being asking this question, as knew he did not have an answer to it, “I don’t know,” he replied truthfully, “All I’ve known my entire life is business, I’ve never really gotten to experience all that much else.”

Jinyoung’s eyes softened, “That’s okay too, you are still young. At least you know you hate business and being a server. As for your girlfriend, I’m sure that if she truly loves you she’ll come around.”

“I hope so and it’s not that I hate business per say, I just hate what it represents and reminds me of. It wasn’t so bad when I spent all those years studying it in school, but when it came time to step into the real world, I couldn’t bring myself to take the leap,” he admitted.

“It sounds like you are afraid of something, do you know what is holding you back?” Jinyoung inquired.

Mark had never been asked this question before and he wasn’t quite sure how to answer it. _What was it that held him back?_ “Uh, I’m not sure…”

Jinyoung raised his head to look Mark directly in the eyes, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you sound insecure. Is perhaps the reason to your apprehension a fear of failure? I’m not trying to tell you what to do but how do you know what the outcome will be unless you give it a try in the first place?”

It was as if Jinyoung was staring into Mark’s innermost thoughts through his eyes, fears that he hadn’t even admitted to himself before, doubts that he brushed aside to the back of his mind. “What if I spend all this time and effort and I’m still not good enough?” he spoke quietly, almost at a whisper.

Jinyoung tentively placed a hand over Mark’s and gave it a light squeeze when he noticed the other man didn’t move away from him, “There’s nothing wrong with failing and there’s no such thing as _good enough_.”

Mark nodded slightly, letting his eyes fall towards the ground. Something about seeing Mark in such a sorrowful state made Jinyoung’s heart clench. He instinctively pulled the blonde in towards him in a hug, letting the other man’s head rest on his chest. Mark allowed the embrace, wrappig his arms loosely around his torso. He felt tears begin to prick his eyes at the newfound warmth of the embrace and stain Jinyoung’s shirt but it didn’t seem like he minded. They sat like that for a few moments, Mark soaking up the physical contact he had been starved of for so long.

Jinyoung stroked a hand through Mark’s blonde locks, trying to smooth his breathing which had become heavy and labored. He knew it was a bad idea the moment the idea popped into his head, but for some reason he couldn’t control his actions has he moved to place his hand under Mark’s chin, lifting his head to meet his own. He stared down into the pair of sad eyes and automatically felt himself leaning in to place his own lips over Mark’s. They were soft and warm, slightly wet and salty from his tears but Jinyoung didn’t mind. When Mark made no move to push him off, Jinyoung allowed his own lips to start moving softly, surprised when Mark appeared to let out a soft sigh. It wasn’t until they parted that Mark seemed to realize what had just happened and he quickly pulled away from Jinyoung, confused by his own actions.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what came over me, I just wanted to comfort you,” the dark-haired man quickly apologized.

“S’okay,” Mark replied shyly, “You did comfort me…with the whole talking part, not the kissing part I mean.”

Jinyoung let out a soft chuckle before suddenly remembering something, “You know, if you really hate working at the café so much, I’m looking to hire a second assistant at the publishing house. I could use the extra help and my current one Bambam is looking to get a promotion to junior editor anyways.”

Mark was taken aback by the unexpected offer, “I’m not so sure about that…”

“It’s not a hard job, all you have to do is answer some phone calls and bring me the occasional coffee, and it sure as hell pays a lot better than that stupid café.”

Mark frowned, “What makes you think I want to be your personal slave, bringing you coffee or whatever whenever you ask for it?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing for me these past few weeks already?” Jinyoung retorted with a smirk.

“That’s different!” Mark exclaimed but Jinyoung only laughed.

“I’m just letting you know the offer is out there for you to take, take you time to just think about it. I’m a very lenient boss and great person to work for,” he stated confidently.

Mark rolled his eyes but in his mind he was considering it, “I will, and thanks for tonight, it’s been a while since someone truly listened to me like that.”

“It was nothing,” Jinyoung answered, “but I should probably get going now, it’s getting pretty late.”

Mark nodded as Jinyoung got up and began to walk towards the door. As an afterthought, Jinyoung appeared to pull a card out of his wallet and give it to Mark, “Call or text me if you ever need someone to talk to again. Goodnight Mark, I’ll see you around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! If you like it please feel free to leave a comment to let me know :)


	4. Four

Mark fell asleep soon after Jinyoung left, his body and mind exhausted. Remnants from the day lingered in his mind into his dreams, images of his father yelling, his mother crying, and Lilah’s disappointed eyes plagued him. But suddenly the focus shifted towards someone else, and all Mark could see were deep brown eyes that seemed to smile on their own, the comfort of being wrapped up in strong arms against a warm chest, and the feel of soft lips against his own. Lips that were gentle and tender, unlike anything he could have ever imagined the person attached to them could be like.

The sound of a blaring alarm ripped Mark out of his comfortable slumber, much to his irritation. He bitterly remembered that he had an early shift, using what little energy he had in his body to pull himself out of bed. He muttered curse words under his breath as he dragged himself to the shower, hoping it would help drown out his misery, or maybe just drown him. As he under the water in the steaming bathroom, the thoughts of the previous day rushed back to him at once. Wanting to push the whole dinner affair into the back of his mind, he found his mind lingering on the conversation he had with Jinyoung afterwards. He would have never expected the smug bastard to be able to offer him any semblance of consolation yet he had been able to put Mark more at ease than he had felt in so long, at least with matters regarding his parents. Maybe it was the way he was able to force out his innermost feelings, his internal fears that were finally in the open for him to face one and for all. He had been called _selfish_ and _lazy_ before, but no one had ever really accused him of being _insecure_. Mark didn’t really know what do with this information and he wasn’t really sure if he could even deny it. While he still felt conflicted, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he might actually want to make a change in his life.

Then there was the matter of _the kiss_. Part of him wanted to push it to the back of his mind and never think about it again out of sheer embarrassment, but part of him was curious as to what had transpired to have allowed such a moment to happen. As much as he wanted to deny it, he had allowed for it to happen and he made no move to push Jinyoung away when it did. It almost did not feel wrong in the context of the moment, and he was certain Jinyoung had no ill intentions behind it aside from simply offering comfort to Mark, no matter how unconventional his methods were. Mark would be lying if he said he was repulsed by the kiss; if you had asked him a few days ago he wouldn’t have used any word except _disgusting_ to describe his thoughts on the idea of kissing Jinyoung, or any man for that matter. But the kiss wasn’t disgusting, in anything, it was the opposite. It was sweet and innocent, and in the moment, Mark remembered every muscle in his body seemed to relax, and every anxious thought in his head dissipate. That didn’t matter though, he was straight and before last night had never had any sort of remotely intimate contact with another man.

He also had a girlfriend. Mark groaned at the thought of Lilah. He had been avoiding thinking of her due to her association with the drama with his parents, but seeing as he had full on kissed another person maybe he should spare her a thought. He wasn’t sure if he felt guilty about kissing Jinyoung, he didn’t think it technically counted as cheating. It’s not like the kiss was fueled by any sort of romantic or sexual feeling, Mark was very much straight after all.

Lost in his thoughts, Mark realized he had spent far too long in the shower, noticing that the water spraying on his back was starting to feel a little chilled. Youngjae would probably curse him out later for using all the hot water but that didn’t matter right now because after a quick check of his phone, Mark was positive he was going to be late. _Oh well_ , if he was already going to be late, he might as well take his time to properly dry his hair and get dressed.

-

Mark casually strolled into the café and like he expected, his manager immediately marched up to him and stuck a finger into his chest, “Nice of you to finally join us, do you have any idea what time it is?”

He was in fact well aware of the time, it was about half an hour past the start of his shift, but he didn’t dare say that out loud. His manager continued to yell, “You think you can just do whatever you want whenever you want and there won’t be consequences? Do you take me for a fool? You should be thankful I am still allowing you to work for my business after the amount of disrespect you have shown me.”

Mark could feel the anger rising in his chest. He was tired of being treated like scum and he was starting to think Jinyoung was right. Why was he forcing himself to be in a miserable position when there were easily more agreeable alternatives. Feeling a surge of confidence, Mark stood up tall and looked his manager straight in the eye, “Yes, I do take you for a fool. I only show you the respect you deserve, you would able to see that if you learned how to properly communicate with other human beings. It’s too late now for that anyways, you will not be seeing me again, I quit.”

He made sure to emphasize his last two words but pushing a finger into his managers chest much like he had done before. Mark flashed him an insincere smile before turning his heel and walking straight out the door. It wasn’t until he had walked a few meters away from the café did a wave of anxiety wash over him. _What the fuck had he just done?_ It was as if he had all of a sudden been hit with a reality check. If he wanted to be able to pay rent and eat, he needed to find another job as soon as possible. A voice in the back of his head reminded him of the very kind offer Jinyoung had made before he left. As much as he wanted to avoid the option, he had to admit that the timing was fortunate and the assistant job was a possible solution on such short notice. However, if he accepted, it would feel like he was giving into what Jinyoung wanted and if there was anything Mark hated, it was not being in control. The more he tried to run through other possible solutions in his head, the more he was starting to realize that perhaps this was his only option. If he remembered correctly, Jinyoung did mention that the pay wasn’t too bad, and at least he knew his boss wouldn’t be a total asshole. Hanging his head in defeat, Mark begrudgingly fished out the business card he had tucked into his wallet last night and typed the numbers on it into his phone.

“Park Jinyoung’s office, this is Bambam speaking, how may I help you?”

Mark froze, not expecting his assistant to answer, “Uh, may I speak to Jinyoung?”

“May I ask who is calling?” Bambam inquired in a cheerful tone.

“Uh, tell him it’s Mark?” he answered hesistantly, wondering if he was making the right decision.

“Hold on, I’ll tell him to pick up the phone shortly.”

Mark fidgeted with the edge of his sleeves waiting for Jinyoung to pick up the phone. His nervousness was interrupted by a familiar deep voice, “Hello? Mark? Why are you calling so soon? Is everything okay?”

“Um, yeah, everything is fine. Listen, I’m calling to talk about what you said yesterday before you left? About how you are looking for a new assistant?” he asked softly.

Mark could practically hear the grin in Jinyoung’s voice, “I hadn’t expected you to call so soon. You’re hired. Are you able to start your training immediately? Where are you right now?”

Realizing he had nothing better to do with his time right now, he replied, “I guess I can start now, I’m about a block away from the café right now.”

“Perfect, the office is just a five minute walk away. Do you know where JYP publishing office is?”

Mark told him he did, having walked past the large building each day on his way to work. Jinyoung gave him instructions as to what to tell the receptionist in the lobby, and the specific directions to his office. It was too late to back out now as he headed towards could possibly be a big mistake.

-

Jinyoung was delighted to hear that Mark had accepted his job offer so quickly. While he knew he would be doing the other man a favour, he selfishly could not help but look forward to the fact that Mark would be so easily accessible to him. It only served to make his plans of getting into his pants all that much easier, giving him a chance to really get to know what made Mark tick. The old Jinyoung would probably have chided himself for putting so much effort into a conquest, but the current Jinyoung could not care less. While he had long since admitted his physical attraction to the blonde, he was too stubborn to admit that his current feelings were bordering on a level of obsessiveness. Not that it mattered, Jinyoung was making progress, they had already shared a kiss that Mark did not appear to shy away from.

The night before only served to intensify the intrigue Jinyoung held for Mark. He hadn’t expected the other man to hold so many troubles and insecurities inside of him. He had surprised himself when he offered to listen to Mark’s struggles, he usually didn’t try to get wrapped in the personal lives of anyone except for maybe his family and Yugyeom. Even more shocking to Jinyoung was the unplanned kiss. It was like no kiss Jinyoung had ever experienced before in the way that his kisses usually only held one purpose – as a gateway to whoever’s bed he felt like passing through that night. This kiss was as innocent as they got, a concept that Jinyoung was struggling to get his mind around. _I’m sure I’ll figure it out,_ he thought, as he patiently waited for his new assistant to arrive.

-

Mark got off the elevator on the seventh floor and was immediately greeted by an overexcited, lanky man whose legs seemed to reach the middle of his torso. “You must be Mark! My replacement! Hurry up, Jinyoung-hyung is waiting for you.”

He aimlessly nodded as he followed who he assumed to be Bambam, towards Jinyoung’s office. Not even bothering to knock, the assistant waltzed through the set of large wooden doors and shoved Mark in front of him. Mark’s eyes widened at the sheer size of the office, it was certainly a little excessive for what he would have expected of an editor. One side of the wall was lined floor to ceiling with rows and rows of books; Mark was never big on reading and he wondered how many of these books Jinyoung had actually finished. In the centre of the office was a heavy looking wooden desk, which appeared empty expect for a pen and a single stack of paper that he assumed was probably the manuscript to whatever novel Jinyoung was editing. Behind the desk was Jinyoung who sat with his back straight and legs crossed. Mark noticed a pair of black framed glasses resting on his nose that he had never seen before.

“I’m a little busy right now but Bambam will give you a quick tour and begin your training.” he instructed, throwing Mark off with the amount of professionalism in his voice.

Mark spend the rest of his day with Bambam, learning the ins and outs of the office. Jinyoung never really made much of an appearance other than to ask Bambam for help. He was surprised by how different this side of Jinyoung was, nowhere to be found was the teasing, flirting man with a constant smirk on his face from the cafe, or even the patient and soft man with kind eyes who had a cried on the night before. In their place was a hardworking focused Jinyoung, who seemed to pour all his energy into his work, not allowing for any distractions. Mark almost admired this side of Jinyoung, it was rare to see someone so invested in their job. He could see that even with his professionalism, Jinyoung was a kind and tolerant boss. Just from the few interactions he had seen the man share with Bambam, he could tell that the assistant adored Jinyoung, and Jinyoung probably adored him back. 

As for Bambam, the more time Jinyoung spend with him, the more he found himself enjoying the younger man’s easy-going, cheerful attitude. He had to admit, he could be a little strange at times, starting stories that had no conclusion or getting excited over the smallest details. But it only served to make him more endearing. If Mark had to be forced to work closely with anyone he was glad that person was Bambam. He happily followed along as he learned how to answer the phone and take messages, make photocopies of manuscripts, and organize appointments for Jinyoung. It didn’t seem like too difficult of a job, and already he could tell he would enjoy it far more than the café. 

“This is the kitchen and most importantly this is the coffeemaker,” Bambam placing emphasis on the last word, “I’m going to show you how Jinyoung likes his coffee.”

“He likes it black doesn’t he?” Mark remembered, before Bambam had a chance to continue.

“You already know! Mark-hyung, you are going to fit right in!” he exclaimed.

The thought made Mark smile, the idea of fitting in somewhere had been foreign to him, when it came to his family, school, and especially the café, Mark had always felt a bit like an outsider. 

“Oh one more thing, as much as I love this whole baggy t-shirt, ripped jeans look you have going on, this is not going to work for the office setting. The dress code is business casual, do you think you can manage that?”

Mark nodded, after spending all those years in university attending business conferences and networking events, he had his fair share of clothes that he thought would be appropriate for the office setting. 

“Well that brings an end to lesson number one of how to be Jinyoung’s assistant. I’ll see you tomorrow at 9am!” Bambam concluded.

-

The next morning Mark got up nice and early to get ready for his first official day at work. He decided to pick out a light blue dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. It had been a while since he had dressed up like this, typically avoiding that section of his closet in favour of jeans and a comfy sweater or t-shirt. Seeing as he had some of extra time, Mark decided to style his blonde hair back today a bit of wax, knowing that this was the look everyone used to recommend him wearing back in school. Feeling satisfied, Mark headed out on the short walk to the office, excited to see what the day would bring.

The rest of the day and week went off without a hitch for Mark. He continued to learn the ways of the office, feeling proud of himself when Bambam called him a natural after he had answered his first phone call. He was learning more and more about his coworker, who had grown quite close to over the week. He had learned that what Bambam truly wanted to do was become a writer and creator, a career path that Mark thought suited the imaginative individual quite well. He had been working as Jinyoung’s office assistant for the past year and was hoping to advance to a position of junior editor now that Mark was here. He had started working at JYP Publishing as a way of getting his foot into the door and make connections with the publishing world. He explained to Mark about how he liked to write in his free time, hoping that one day he would be able to publish his own work for the world to enjoy. Mark could not help but feel a twinge of envy at the younger man’s passion, wondering if he himself would ever be able to feel that level of excitement for anything. 

As for Jinyoung, he began to act more casual around Mark, perhaps as result of knowing that Mark was really, officially going to be working with him. Mark was unsurprised to catch glimpses of Jinyoung’s flirty self, the editor unafraid of showing his appreciation for how Mark looked in his outfits. He noted that not only did Jinyoung seem to flirt with him, but he seemed to flash the same charming smile to almost everyone who worked around the office. He noticed how the receptionist would giggle when Jinyoung winked at her on his way in, and how the marketing director made more than the necessary amount of appearances in a day to ask for Jinyoung’s advice on some new cover design. Mark didn’t mind the comments all that much, knowing that Jinyoung probably meant nothing by them. However, he would occasionally find himself blushing at his new bosses words, feeling the familiar unsettling feeling at the bottom of his stomach when he did.

Jinyoung never brought up the conversation from that night again, Mark grateful that he wouldn’t have to face the events that took place that day, especially the kiss that still left him confused. Jinyoung didn’t appear too bothered by it though, in fact he acted as if that night had never even happened, Mark not knowing whether be grateful or slightly insulted. He also noticed how Jinyoung never returned to the café for lunch again, instead choosing to sustain himself with whatever take out Bambam or Mark brought him that day as he continued to work. 

“I haven't seen you go back to the café for lunch these days?” Mark asked innocently as he brought him his lunch on afternoon.

Jinyoung only shrugged, “My favourite server quit,” giving Mark a quick wink before getting back to the work in front of him.

-

Jinyoung thought it would be easy to work with Mark, he thought it would be a fun and enjoyable experience, but it was only the second day and Jinyoung was already beyond frustrated with his new assistant. The minute he had strolled in to his second day of work Jinyoung knew he had fucked up. He hadn’t expected Mark to look so freaking good in his little office outfit, on top of the way he had styled his hair, how the hell was he going to get anything done if Mark insisted on being so damn distracting. He groaned as he tried to gain his composure, a sneaking suspicion that things were only going to get worse from here on out. 

By the time Friday had arrived Jinyoung had enough. Trying to keep a professional distance from Mark, aside from the occasional flirtatious comment, was difficult. He kept replaying the kiss on his head, the feeling of his soft and warm lips. Goddammit Jinyoung, he scolded himself for trying to warp the perfectly innocent kiss into a something it was not. Like he always did in times of frustration like this, he decided to call up Yugyeom after work, hoping to vent his problems to the younger boy.

-

“Jinyoung-hyung, what’s with the face?” Yugyeom whined at his best friend who looked positively miserable at the bar, “You love the club, what’s gotten to you today?”

“I think that’s the problem, no one has gotten into me today or any day recently,” he huffed in irritation before downing the rest of his drink.

“The whole reason you are in such a mood is cus you haven’t been laid in a while?” the younger boy questioned, “in case you haven’t noticed you are in a club, and you’re hot, so I don’t see what’s so complicated about finding some girl or guy who wants to jump your bones.”

Jinyoung growled, “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“Psh, you just like making everything more complicated than it actually is,” Yugyeom teased, “oh yeah, whatever happened with Mark? Did you scare him off yet? I don’t know why you even bothered to waste your time with that one, I already told you he was straight.”

He sighed, knowing they had finally approached the topic he had come here to talk about in the first place with his best friend. He quickly recounted the past few weeks, starting with his visits to the café, the night he bumped into Mark at his apartment, the conversation and kiss that ensued, and the ending result of Mark now being his new assistant. Jinyoung tried to skim over the details, especially from the night they talked, he wanted to respect Mark’s privacy after all, but that didn’t stop Yugyeom from staring at Jinyoung slack-jawed as he finished off his story.

“YOU HIRED MY NEIGHBOUR? AFTER YOU KISSED HIM?” he shouted, causing Jinyoung to wince.

“That’s the gist of it.”

“Wow, I can’t believe he actually let you kiss him, I didn’t think you had any chance in hell,” the younger confessed in disbelief.

“Yah, I’m _hot_ remember, it was only a matter of time.”

Yugyeom snorted, “Whatever you say, hyung. Wait, is the whole ordeal with Mark what has gotten you worked up? I don’t see the big deal, sure I still think it’s a little weird that you trusted him enough to hire him as your assistant after you two seconds of meeting him, but you do you I guess.”

Before Jinyoung could explain further, they were interrupted by someone who had walked over from the other side of the bar. He addressed Jinyoung, “I don’t mean to be forward but I noticed you earlier, there’s something special about you, can I buy you a drink?”

Jinyoung pressed his lips into a polite smile, “Thanks for the offer, but we are kind of in the middle of something.”

The stranger nodded understandingly, “I get it, but if you change your mind, my name is Brian, please feel free to give me a call anytime. It was nice meeting you!”

He wrote his number down on a clean napkin next to Jinyoung before handing it over to the other man and walking away. Jinyoung rolled his eyes and stuffed the napkin in his pocket, turning his attention back to Yugyeom. What he found was his best friend gaping back at him in disbelief.

“What?” he asked.

“Did you just reject him? He was soooo into you, and he was HOT too,” Yugyeom pointed out.

“I was talking to you and he interrupted, it was rude of him,” Jinyoung explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Please, you ditch me mid-sentence all the time to chase after ass, especially if the ass is a cute as _Brian._ ”

Jinyoung scowled and smacked his best friend in the arm.

“Wait a MINUTE, does this have anything to do with Mark? Is that why you shooed him away? Oh my gosh Jinyoung do you have a _CRUSH_?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve never had a crush in my entire life. I’m just simply appreciative of Mark’s physical appearance and desire to use him for physical pleasure.”

Yugyeom cackled at his response, “Whatever you say hyung, whatever you say.” 

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a bit busy with work, will try to get next chapter done as soon as I can. Enjoy!


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